Horse Face
by diabolicalcatlady
Summary: Everyone calls Jean Kirschtein "horse-face". Sometimes he doesn't mind it and other times it does. Everyone calls him that, everyone except his friend Armin Arlert. It made him happy, maybe a little too happy. Four years of friendship so when did Armin start looking so… cute? Armin didn't think Jean had a horse-face, so he didn't call him when did Jean get so attractive?
1. Chapter 1

This would be what you'd consider a regular, everyday walk home with fifteen-year old Armin Arlert and friend Jean kirschtein. With winter uniforms loosened disorderly eliminating any school boy-like quality, you'd spot a little blonde hurrying along side the long strides of his friend. Jean was mad, much like a stubborn horse hurrying off to wherever it is. In fact, that was exactly what Jean was angered about to begin. All because of his arch-nemesis Eren Jaeger's insult saying Jean has horse-like similarities. Jean huffed.

"Damn that Eren. Everyone calls me fucking "Horse-face" now because of him," Jean ranted stuffing his rage-ridden fists into the confinement of his pockets. He briefly, yet shyly threw his head over his should stealing a glance of Armin. His face steamed.

'Everyone except you,' he secretly thought yanking his uniform collar over his obvious blush. Only because Armin was a little cute, he has thought so since when they first met four years ago. Wasn't anything serious Jean often reasoned.

A few moments of silence occurred as the two teens brushed past the pathway through the trees that lead to Jean's house. They stepped along the piles of leaves in a few more silent moments with nothing but the sound of dry, brittle leaves gave away to the soles of their shoes. The chilly season's shed leafs sure made a satisfying crunch.

'I don't think you have a horse-face,' Armin thought.

After thinking things through, Armin whisked past jean and jumped out in front of him blocking his path. They collided with minimal impact. Armin gulped; maybe he should've added a warning to his blockage of Jean's pathway. Jean stumbled a bit awkwardly as they bumped chests due to their small collision. Armin's face flushed into a radiating red and Jean's palms sweated. Armin shuddered against the smell brief inhale of Jean's scent. He smelt good. Like how he imagined Gucci male models would smell.

'This is close," Jean thought.

'This is really close," Armin thought in sync.

" I… uu- just wanted to say I don't think you really look like a horse. Don't worry about that! Eren just likes to bother you because you speak you mind," The blonde enthused.

Armin scooted a few inches back spinning back around so Jean couldn't see his face. Armin also grabbed his uniform color and pulled it over his mouth in attempt to hide his blush that by now had made it's way to the tips of his ears. Jean was really hot, like, attractive, sexy-hot. It made it hard to breath. Armin felt embarrassed that they had stood so awkwardly close.

'Since when did he get so… good-looking…' Armin exasperated mildly within his thoughts. It's nothing more than that though, he thinks. Nothing more.

Jean gave a warm laugh in response. Armin's heart ached. Heart ached? Ached? Ba-dump.

The blonde's eye's widened upon some sort of indescribable emotion.

"…Change of plans Jean. I have stuff at home, I mean, I'm going home I can't hang out today. I'll definitely be at school though tomorrow, I mean of course I would why wouldn't I?" Armin hurried, (almost scrambled); home shoving past any branch in his way. Hopefully Jean didn't notice the short moment Armin tripped on his own feet. Jean did.

Jean's eyebrow lifted as the other dropped. He looks a bit… dumbfounded.

"What was that about?" he questioned aloud scratching the back of his neck. Seriously, what was that about? Armin just running off, after saying such cute things? Just-damn it, what am I thinking?

Jean threw his head to his destination with a heavy groan and headed home. "Why don't we just date," Jean mumbled aloud. _Oh hell._ Date?


	2. Chapter 2

Jean groaned and unraveled the tangle of blankets and sheets tied around his body. He checked his phone and groaned again.

"1:33 AM, damn it! Just let me sleep," He complained shoved his face into his pillow. 30 minutes pass, no sleep.

" Arghh, it's useless," Jean began speaking aloud to himself, " Might as well just think about shit while I'm awake." He shifted his legs uncomfortably beneath his blankets- fidgety almost. There was no way he could sleep.x

As much as he was embarrassed to admit it, the brunette was in over his head. Visions of a certain blue-eyed Blondie interrupted any close moment to falling asleep. It irked him, to think he had become so smitten with this boy. He rolled across his bed back and forth in pure restlessness. It worried him, to have this crush on his friend.

'Maybe it's his smarts, I've always sort of had a thing for cute girls with smarts,' Jean decided, ' He is really petite too, a bit like a girl. Have I ever liked blondes before? Maybe I have a think for blondes and blue eyes, yeah- maybe that's just it. Nothing more. Wait, no- yeah it's something more. He's smart, kind, and has a… um, good-heart.' Jean's face and even body began to heat up.

"FUCKING HELL," Jean shouted clearing his throat to erase the cracking of his voice.

Abruptly, the boy sat up in bed stripped disposing of his pants and sweaty shirt in hopes of freeing himself of this strange, abnormal heat. For the last and final time, Jean then wrapped burrowed himself inside his blankets and shut his eyes tight. He was determined to sleep.

To be accurate, it didn't take him until another hour and a half until he actually did.

The morning after, the dark circles under his eyes we hardly even vague. He yawned as his eyes watered. It was 7:42 A.M. only three more minutes until the school bus was scheduled to arrive. As tired as he was his eyes still managed to scan ahead looking for someone. As surprising as it is, it's not Armin. It's his long-term best friend Marco Bott. Marco was a good friend, reliable and somewhat of an advice-genius. Still, Jean wasn't too sure if he should talk to him about his current love-issues.

"Hi Jean! I'm relieved to see the bus hasn't come and left yet, haha," Marco laughed, scaring the shit out of the poor sleepy Jean.

"Shit, I didn't see you there. Yeah, the bus hasn't come yet," Jean sighed then yawned immediately after.

"Man, you look tired. You have dark circles and everything. You need to get some more sleep," Marco sympathized. Or nagged, it was hard to tell.

"I tried, I just… I just couldn't."

Marco looked at Jean and prepared a reply but the bus arrived in the distance so he decided he'd save it. Jean didn't really look like he wanted to talk right now anyways. He just shrugged and entered the bus with Jean in front of him.

The bus air was icy and the seats were as well. Jean trudged along forward in his sleepy state- much like a zombie. Marco spotted Reiner and Bertholdt bunched into a seat with Annie sitting in the seat behind them unaccompanied. Located at the large seat in the far back area of the bus were Connie, Sasha and a few other loud students messing around. As Marco was distracted searching through the seats, he barely noticed that Jean had stopped walking. Marco bumped into his back. He was standing up straight and stiff, almost frozen. Marco leaned forward taking a quick glance at Jean's face. His eyes were widened with a statue-like expression; pursed lips and furrowed eyebrows.

'What's this about?' Marco wondered.

Marco tilted his head towards what seemed to be what Jean had spotted.

It was Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. What exactly had those three done to stop Jean in his tracts? Eren and Jean couldn't possibly be in a fight right now… or could they? Marco internally panicked.

As Marco readied himself to restrain Jean from any attempt in starting a physical fight with Eren, the horse-face spoke up.

"Morning," He simply said. Then in a very soldier like- fashion he stomped over to the nearest empty seat and shoved his headphones into his ears.

'Something's bothering him. Well, with him using headphones to shut off the world and such,' Marco concluded heading over to sit next to Jean with a sigh.

Out of pure curiosity and for the sake of his bestfriend's well-being, the freckled- saint decided to capture another quick glance at Eren, Mikasa and Armin. Mikasa seemed quite stoic listening to Eren rant about how odd and suspicious Jean's greeting was. Armin on the other hand had recoiled against his seat with his knees pulled to his chest and chin steady on his kneecaps. He looked a bit sad, disappointed maybe? Marco's eyebrows lifted.

'_Oh_', was Marco last thought.

The ride to school was short-lived and silent. Every time Jean seemed to doze off Marco simply grabbed his iPod and increased his music volume jolting Jean wide-awake mumbling some form of incoherent profanity. Once the bus has finally arrived at their destination, the students chaotically exited the bus sharing avid conversation about typical teen-talk. Jean waved Marco goodbye as her started walking off to his first class. Jean yawned.

He like most other kids wasn't really in the mood for a day of school, especially when you are in the act of avoiding certain people. As he slowly began waking up, a burst of adrenaline spread throughout his body as his little blonde friend seemed to pop out of nowhere. Jean's heart softened, yet still felt… tight.

Jean stole a short moment entirely to take in the blonde's pleasing appearance. First was his hair. Armins's hair glistened and fell to either side of where the wind blew ever so fluently, capturing Jean eyes with every movement. Jean's eyes moved to his appearance below his face. What Jean never noticed until now was Armin's collared school uniform was a bit too large and revealed only the tips of his fingers. It was… _adorable_. Where as his pants… seemed to fit well, tight and complimenting. He quickly looked away, since it didn't really feel right to be noticing and gushing about how fitting his friend's pants were.

Armin reached up tucking a flowing lock of hair that kept falling onto his face and smiled.

"You look a bit tired, feeling okay?" He asked, embarrassed but worried.

'What should I say?' Jean internally panicked. 'AGH, too late now, can't say anything. Ah damn, now it's getting awkward. Armin is getting uncomfortable. Do something, do something dammit!'

In a split second, Jean had hurried (more like ran) off without a single word spoken to Armin. In fact, the young Kirschtein boy spent the entire school day napping in class and avoiding any interaction with the also young Arlert boy. Every time he caught sight of him or even heard his name be called he scurried of to God knows where. Armin on the other hand, had been shut down for a total of seven times all today. With each attempt to come into formal contact and conversation with Jean led to Jean speeding off away from him. It sort of hurt… a lot. It's not as if kind blonde boy had an immense amount of confidence anyways.

The bell rang fiercely and with a clatter the students had fled the classroom. Armin sighed heavily slinging his book bag over his shoulder. It was a long day, or at least it felt like one.

'Time to head home," the boy mumbled scooting his feet onward out of the school.

If it were a normal day, Armin would have already been walking home with Jean, but today he decided it'd be best if he'd walk home with Eren and Mikasa. Just like old times. Jean _clearly_ didn't want to see him, after all.

The blonde stopped and scanned the school quad for Eren and Mikasa, but none of the to be seen. As if on queue, Armin's phone buzzed. Armin grabbed his phone and opened a new text message he received. The message wrote:

"hi armin figured you'd be walking home with Jean again today so Eren and i left already. text us if you want to hang out eren says."

Armin groaned in frustration, and began his walk home. He wasn't feeling too good. He's been feeling quite nervous and anxious really. To be honest, anyone would feel the same if their crush suddenly began to avoid them completely.

'Oh well, I guess," Armin decided feeling defeated continuing his lonely walk home.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as the bell rung Jean was out of the classroom just as soon as everyone else. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and trotted over to the front of the school. He continuously lessened the speed of his steps searching the panorama of his surroundings for a certain blue-eyed blonde. With a sigh of relief, he was nowhere to be seen. Just as he began to walk home, he was startled once again by his freckled friend.

"Damn Marco, that's twice this day," Jean exhaled, not a single tone of anger detected.

"Haha, sorry about that. I was sure you had left already, but I guess I'm lucky today. Sort of wanted to talk about something with you," Marco said.

"Okay, sure then. What is it?"

"As you know I have a class with Armin, just 7th period actually. Just now I mean."

Jean's body instantly stiffened in surprise. It was all so horribly embarrassing, being so enamored with this guy. It stressed the poor guy out not having the ability to zero out this attraction. He probably has absolutely no feelings in return for him anyways. It truly was all just really embarrassing. His face at this point in time felt almost as if it were set a flame. Touched one of his ear lobes- _burning hot_.

Jean cleared his cracking voice, "Yeah, I know. What about it?"

"It's just that he seemed down, you should talk to him since you two are friends right? Well, with you leader-like traits I feel like you'd help him out with a little talk."

The internally confused boy contemplated this notion for a split-second. He pondered about it, thought about it, and maybe sweat a bit more because of it. Jean had wanted the easy way out of things, to rid of these feelings. But, he knew it wasn't right, he had to do the right thing. He had been an ass avoiding the guy all day and surely he was probably upset about it. So why not fix it? So he liked a boy, nothing was wrong with that. Armin was smart and understanding after all, what should he be worrying about?

"The hell", He started, "I might as well! I'll go to Armin. I'll go to his house right now!" He announced.

And without another word from either boy, the now not as internally confused boy ran of full speed. Not looking back, not even once.

Marco just stood there for a second. Maybe he was starting to catch on to what was going on just now. He just shook it of and prayed his good friend didn't screw up big time. With, well, whatever was going on.

Through the span of an exact 10 minutes and 43 seconds jean had ran all the way to his love interest's house, practically gasping for air. With a quick, inner "wish me luck" he raised his fist, almost pulling it back down before he knocked the door. No answer. He knocked the door again, harder this time. Still, there was no reply.

From on the inside of the house was Armin, tucked into his fluffy bed blankets and ears blocked from sound from the cushiony pillows that wrapped around his face. Unplanned, he had fallen asleep alone at home. Of course, not expecting Jean to visit him. Jean was running out of patience.

"SORRY FOR INTRUDING, NO ONE WAS OPENING THE DOOR!" Jean shouted flinging the (surprisingly unlocked) door open, only to discover the house to be empty. Or so he thought. The boy continued walking through his crush's home. He had been there a few times before, but also never really studied the house's layout. He left the living room entering a hallway peeking through each door he passed. Empty.

'What the hell are you doing? This is trespassing. Think kirschtein, think. What are you doing here? No one's even at home, you should just leave,' the boy ruminated.

Before realizing it, he had found himself at the slightly familiar room of the blonde's. He took a few steps forward wincing at the creak in the floorboards. Armin's room was neat, but full of shelves upon shelves filled with a variety of books and miscellaneous items. Between the organized shelves were string lights braided from wall to wall lighting the room up evenly. It was pretty sick Jean had to admit. Over in the corner near the window was Armin's bed. The blankets were plush and fluffy, filled with feathers. Jean laughed. From beneath all of the blankets and pillows you could barely tell if someone were actually in the bed. It looked so comfortable and so soothing. So, just this once, he decided to for just a quick second he'd sit down on the bed. Just to see if it were as comfortable as it looked. Maybe Jean should've inspected the bed for any living beings before doings so yet the chance had passed.

Jean almost choked on his own shriek from his startled body as he sat down, then quickly jumping back up due to the stiff lump under the blankets that seemed to have "squeaked".

"SHIT!" Jean gasped, his heart beating so hard he could hear it. An equally confused and freaked out Armin jumped out from underneath the blankets incredibly alarmed.

"OH MY GOD, FUCK," Jean panicked a bit. Armin was here?! And worse, he just woke him up and now Armin knows he broke into his house and was going to sit on his bed. His face was now steamed in embarrassment. He nearly tripped over his own feet backing away from the bed.

"Je-jean?" the teen stuttered, "Why are you in my room?"

The other teen stumbled, fighting his stammer over his words. "I, -this, what's happening right now is explainable. No one answered the door so-" Jean was interrupted.

"No one answered the door so you decided to just come in?" Armin fumed, allowing a considerable amount of self-control in his tone. He got of his bed now head to head with his friend, and now completely visible.

Jean stuttered incoherently failing to get out any complete words. Opposite to Armin's intentional reaction out of the busted teen, his eyes unsurely averted his gaze glancing back a few times, still stuttering. His face flushed once again, much more intensely this time. "You, uh…" was all the flustered boy managed to say. He quickly gestured at Armin's appearance. Clearly, Armin had forgotten about it himself.

Armin blushed as well, since he felt quite ridiculous now. As he got home it was just get changed and take a nap. Of course he didn't remember wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt that was heavily stretched out around the collarbone area. He must've looked like such an idiot he worried.

Sure they have seen each other stripped to the under garments in the lockers room for P.E. before. Yet alone in Armin's room it felt much more different, and a lot more awkward.

"What do you need?" he shyly grumbled with his left hand gripping his right arm uncomfortably.

"Just uhm…Wanted to see you. Is all." The other teen muttered. Still averting his eyesight.

Both boys have yet to make complete eye contact.

"Out of all of the time the day has to offer you want to see me now? Why me? No, that's not the question. Real question is why now?" the blonde inquired,

Jean shifted his feet uncomfortably, still internally cringing at the still occurring creaking of the floorboards.

"Well, then why did you leave so abruptly yesterday? Maybe I was worried?" he replied.

'Just say it Jean, just admit that you like him. Stop making excuses,' Jean frustrated battled his mind.

"You were "worried" so you purposefully avoided me at all day at school today. That makes no sense!" Armin retorted. Jean winced.

"Damn it, I'm not amazing at this okay?" the Kirschtein boy spoke exasperated. For a few moments, he thought the conversation had ended, and considered apologizing for upsetting him. That was before the other boy himself spoke up.

"You… you really are such a horse-face," the Arlert boy mumbled.

Everyone calls Jean Kirschtein "horse-face". Sometimes he doesn't mind it and other times it does. Everyone calls him that, everyone except his friend Armin Arlert. Everyone except Amin, until now.

Feeling a cross between hurt and anger, Jean adjusted his feet and slowly turned around. _Dammit_. There wasn't much use now anyways, he'd been a shitty person and that means shitty consequences. He shouldn't have decided to confess anyways. It was all a hopeless matter to begin with.

On the other side of the situation, Armin had regretted what he said the moment it was spoken. His throat was dry and his palms were sweaty. Time to be brave.

Before Jean knew his shoulder was grabbed, before he knew he was stopped in his tracks, before he knew he was spun around, Jean was kissed, roughly. Jean's eye's widened, as he saw from below him was Armin, firmly and passionately pressing his lips against his. It rid of his anxiety, his frustration and soon he melted into the kiss, stepping closer to the smaller boy willingly kissing him back. Armin gasped into the kiss as Jean fervently grasped his waist pulling him closer as well. It was hot and loving, Jean was kissing Armin, and Armin was kissing Jean.

They grasped at each other's clothes and tugged at each other's hair desperately moaning with want. Jean slid his hands past the slope of Armin's back and grabbed his ass. Armin sharply inhaled quickly breaking the kiss until Jean pulled him back to him now taking advantage of moist, open-mouth. With each kiss their tongue and lips met sending shivers down the two men's spines. The pleasure and satisfaction between their touch was potent and burning.

"Oh my God," Jean breathily moaned between kisses, " Armin. I like you. A lot." He confessed, breaking the kiss and pulled the panting blonde into a tight, heartfelt hug.

Armin felt his face turn a flame upon the confession and smiled feeling Jean nuzzle his face into his hair.

"I do… too I mean. I like you too," he bashfully added, burying his face into the taller boy's uniform blazer.

Jean separated their embrace and looked at Armin, displaying an emotion as if he weren't really sure what to do. Ultimately, he had just sloppily made-out, confessed to his crush and then after was confessed to himself. What do you really say in situations like this? He hadn't ever been in one before. All he could think of was how unbearably hot and tight his southern regions had become.

Armin caught on the moment he felt something hard press against his lower abdominal region. He cleared his throat and looked up into Jean's eyes. His eyes expanded in mutual realization.

"Um. You… you might want to step a bit back," The now erect boy nervously laughed. Armin laughed as well as they pulled apart and sat upon the bed. They cooled down a bit, and slowly slid their hands together gently intertwining them.

Just sort of holding hands like that, it was relaxing. Even after such an intense make-out session the feelings Jean felt for Armin and the feelings Armin felt for Jean were sincere.

"Could you forget what I said earlier, about you having a horse-face? I didn't mean it, I was just being pathetically defensive," Armin apologized nervously bringing his knees to his chest then folding them criss cross on the bed. Still, in his boxers and loose-fitting t-shirt. Jean could still hear the unevenness of his breathing from their previous activity leaving both fairly out of breath. Jean contemplated Armin's explanation and devised an answer.

"Yeah," Jean replied. Armin sighed in relief.

" But only," He began once again, "_Only_ if we get to make out some more." He seemed slightly impatient.

"Su…sure," The flustered blonde replied inching closer to his now as of today official "boyfriend".

It was a predestined thing having no one else home at the Arlert household. Wrestling definitely would have not make an eligible excuse for how things soon after progressed from not just simply "making out".


End file.
